Stop The Killers Inside Your House!

Threats are everywhere, even inside your house! If you don’t believe me, read the following post and learn about the unseen threats found in every house, and the DIY solutions to protect your house from these threats.

Water Intrusion

Don’t take small water leaks lightly, since these leaks tend to grow bigger and worse over time.
It usually starts with a musty odour, then after a few days, you start noticing damp spaces in your carpet. Not long after that, you’ll see puddles of water on hard wood surfaces at your home.

It’s wise to clean the carpets and building materials within 24 hours after you first discover the presence of water intrusion. Then, replace waterlogged materials immediately to prevent the growth of mould. You can also hire professionals to look for any damaged shingles and sidings, poorly connected plumbing, leaky pipes, and other problems which may cause any water intrusion.

Mould

According to Ronald Gots of the International Center for Toxicology and Medicine, around 70 per cent of houses have mould behind the walls. What’s worse is that this is just an estimate number, so the exact rate may be higher! Yikes!

Why should we all be scared of mould in the first place? Both the EPA and World Health Organization have confirmed that moulds may cause and trigger allergic reactions and asthma.

If you want to keep you and your family allergy-free, the solution is to clean mouldy surfaces with a water-based detergent. When you have the budget, it’s better to replace porous materials in your house with non-porous and mould resistant items.

Lead

Lead paint can present in older houses. Be sure to verify.

Warning! Data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reveals that lead poisoning is the leading cause of environmentally induced illness for children.

If you’re living in a house built before 1978, there’s a big chance that you and your family have been exposed to lead paint. To eliminate any future exposure to this substance, you can paint over any old paint that’s been in your home even before you moved in!

You may also scrape off or sand any old paint in your house, but make sure that you wear protective gear like a HEPA respirator and enclose the workspace with plastic. The most important consideration for these projects is minimising dust, so that poisonous substance won’t scatter.

Asbestos

Asbestos is another hidden culprit in most homes, because this substance was used to manufacture 3,000 construction materials before 1985! While it was a reliable material to make strong soundproofing and flame retardant items, turns out, asbestos could cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, thus it was banned.

Aside from health risks, another downside for having asbestos in your house is that it’s impossible to do any renovation without releasing the toxic asbestos fibers into the air! That’s why most professionals advise against property renovation for these types of homes.

That’s why if your house is constructed from mid-century vinyl floor tiles, ceiling tiles, and insulation, it’s about time to commission a professional asbestos inspection for your house!

I hope today’s topic inspired you to protect your house against unseen threats. If you want to learn about new DIY projects, just leave a comment below. See you on my next post!